60s Hammond grooves in new album ‘Im Schwarzwald’ by German quartet The Hamburg Spinners

In the black forest, this is the translation of “Im Scharzwald”, the title of the new album by German quartet The Hamburg Spinners, a journey through 12 instrumental songs at the crossroads of mod jazz, rhythm n blues and retro soul, the kind of thing that labels like Stax Records would have published in a heartbeat between the end of the 60s and the early 70s, so to speak. 

 

The lineup is composed of bass, guitar, drums, and of course the protagonist, the B3 Hammond organ, played by the band’s founder and leader, Carsten ‘Erobique’ Meyer, a veteran with notable releases under his belt both as a soloist and in other formations in completely different genres (worthy of note is International Pony with DJ Koze).

 

The black forest of the title refers to the dense forest located in the south-west of Germany, on the border with France, almost like an invitation to enter the dense Hammond grooves that the Hamburg Spinners weave together, picking up from the legacy of bands like Booker T & The MG’s, whose influence is felt most in the songs “Huschdegudsl” and “Kunstkoepfe”.

 

There’s also a strong cinematic streak: album opener “Heisser Schlitten” could very well find place in a 60s surfer film, “Trachtrock” resembles certain music found in erotic b-movies, “Messe In H, G, B Und Es” would be the perfect underscore for the chase scene of a spy movie.

 

Whether the rhythm is more relaxed as in the almost psychedelic “Das Blaue Auge”, or uptempo as “Bergamod”, with its lightning-fast break three-quarters of the way through, “Im Scharzwald” by The Hamburg Spinners is a pleasant and coherent interpretation of a retro trend, without ever becoming too predictable.

 

Stream it on BandCamp here: